Pharrell Williams Talks Working With Justin Bieber: ‘I Think He’s Growing Up’ [Video]
Pharrell Williams has opened up about working in the studio with Justin Bieber.
The singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and fashion designer, was in London this week to collect his trophy for GQ Magazine’s Performer of the Year at the 2013 Men of the Year awards.
Tapped for a backstage interview at the Royal Opera House Tuesday event, the Tuxedo-wearing 40-year-old addressed some of the speculation that sparked after Justin and Odd Future rapper Tyler, The Creator posted Instagrams of their studio session with Pharrell last week.
“I think he’s [Bieber] growing up,” the four-times Grammy Award winner told Showbiz 411.
Elaborating, he went on:
“I think he’s learning what it is that he wants in life and he’s going to make those determinations,” adding, “He’s still making those decisions.”
On August 26, Justin mentioned his musical meet with the renowned hitmaker, tweeting,
“Fun night in the studio with big bro @Pharrell. #greatguy.”
Sounding very much like a older brother, the Virginia native revealed he gave the teen star some philosophical advice on writing music and life in general.
“As I told him, I’ll tell you,” Pharrell recalled. “You’re a co-creator with God, you just have to be appreciative for the pen that you have.”
He went on: “So make sure that you write the right things, you say the things that you can live and stand by. As long as you can sleep well at night, you’re doing the right thing.”
With hindsight, some time after Bieber and Tyler left Williams’ studio the pair visited a Los Angeles Fatburger eatery where the “Baby” singer had his first ever 100% ground beef heart-tingler.
About an hour later, Justin was cited by Los Angeles traffic police for allegedly running a stop sign in his white Ferrari near his Calabasas neighborhood and driving without a valid California license.
The 19-year-old and Pharrell have met before, possibly many times, although this year appears to be the first time a collaboration is being mooted.
Back in 2011, during an eve of release listening session to the Canadian’s Christmas album with Usher and the popster, Williams tweeted,
“wow, in the studio with @UsherRaymondIV and @justinbieber came by played his Christmas album Under the mistletoe. His voice is sick!”
While it remains to be seen if Pharrell’s Midas touch will grace Justin’s in-the-works new album, it’s certainly a banner year for the veteran producer — even by his standards.
From The Neptunes first No. 1 as producers of Britney Spears’ “I a Slave 4 U” to their own Jay Z guested single “Frontin'” in 2003 and album “In my mind” in 2006, to releases under N.E.R.D (who are no longer active), to co-writes and production for artists including — Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Beyonce, Madonna, Adam Lambert, Game, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, The Hives, Mac Miller, Miley Cyrus, scored the 2010 movie Despicable Me and the 84th Academy Awards alongside Hans Zimmer — this year Williams punched even further above his weight.
A co-writer and producer of the summer smash “Blurred Lines” and featured on Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” and “Lose Yourself to Dance,” all three tracks made the soundtrack of the summer. Which is probably why GQ dubbed him a “true renaissance man.”
Noting the origin of that word as “rebirth,” the possibilities of what Pharrell and Bieber could come up with musically continue to tantalize.
[Image via Instagram and Billboard]
